The White House has released proposed guidelines that will require use of American-made material in government-funded infrastructure projects.
In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden highlighted a plan to ensure construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects be manufactured in the United States.
The infrastructure law significantly expands standards to require government-funded infrastructure projects use more American-made iron, steel, construction materials and manufactured products.
The goal is to ensure U.S.-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables and other materials are purchased in the U.S.
“On my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways are going to be made with American products,” Biden said. “When we do these projects … we’re going to buy American,” Biden said. “It’s totally consistent with international trade rule.”
The proposed guidelines “will strengthen implementation of domestic content standards, while also improving federal financial assistance management, consistency, transparency, and oversight,” according to a White House fact sheet.
Manufacturing processes for construction material must occur in the United States, including standards for “plastic and polymer-based products, glass (including optic glass), lumber, and drywall.
In a statement, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the president is on the right track.
“This president’s focus on working people is exactly what the nation needs, and his focus on helping Americans care for their children, provide for their families, and put money in their wallets will resonate from coast to coast,” Adams said. “The agenda he laid out goes hand-in-hand with what we are doing in New York City — this is a blue-collar president, I’m a blue-collar mayor, and we’re both pursuing a blue-collar agenda for working people in New York and across the rest of the nation.
